Container



Jan. 16, 1940. R. SULLIVAN CONTAINER Filed June 5, 1936 Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITED STATES CONTAINER Richard L. Sullivan, New York, N.' Y., assignmto American Can Company, New York, N. a corporation of New Jersey Application June 5, 1936, Serial No. 83,801

1 Claim.

. The present invention relates to containers or cans and has particular reference to a sealed can having in a wall of its body a removable piece adapted to be punched out when the can is empty and thereby to destroy the body for usefulness, the punched out'piece being utilized as a redeemable premium check the redemption of which signifies that the can body has been destroyed.

Among unscrupulous dealers in canned goods, especially lubricating oils, a practice has arisen of palming oif on the buying public inferior products by packing them into salvaged empty cans having a lithographed exterior surface bearing the names of well known brands of high standing. The broken tops of such salvaged cans may be removed and new tops seamed in place after the cans have been filled with the inferior products and since the bodies of the cans have not been greatly altered the buying public is deceived as only an expert inspection of the refilled cans will detect the fraud.

The present invention contemplates the suppression of this practice by providing a can having in a wall of its body a removable premium check which is readily punched out when the can is empty and which is readily identified with the can from which it is removed. Removal of the check thus destroys the can body for further usefulness as it leaves an opening in the side of the body which cannot be repaired beyond obvious detection. As an incentive to dealers or garage attendants to remove the checks from the cans, premiums or prizes are offered by the manufacturers of the goods for the return of the checks.

An object, therefore, of the invention is the provision of a can having in a wall of its body a removable piece which when removed destroys the can for further usefulness and which may be utilized as a premium check for which premiums or prizes may be offered as an inducement for their removal;

Another object is the provision of such a can wherein the removable piece is formed as a part of the can body and is set off by a score line disposed in the body wall in a predetermined position relative to a design lithographed on the exterior surface of the body so that the removed piece will bear a desired portion of the lithographing.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which,

taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lithographed can embodying the instant invention; i Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and showing an empty can with the removable piece taken out and graphically spaced relative to the opening left by its removal; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged vertical sections of 10 a fragmentary part of the can body wall, the section shown in Fig. 3 being taken substantially along the line 3-3 in Fig. l and showing the can body scored to set oif the removable piece, while the section shown in Fig. 4 is taken substantially 15 along the line 4-4 in Fig. 2 and shows the removable piece taken out and graphically spaced relative to the openingleft thereby in the body wall.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention the go drawing discloses a can comprising a tubular body I I closed at its ends with closure members l2 which are secured to the body in suitable seams 13. A score line I5 is formed preferably on the inside of the body wall at a convenient 2 place and this score line defines a removable area It. This area in the form herein shown constitutes a removable disc l1 which may be readily punched out when the can is empty and this destroys the can body for further usefulness. 30

The exterior surface of the body preferably carries lithographing l8 which may embody a suitable design including a feature portion l9 which is located on the removable area I6. This feature portion of the lithographing is prefer- 35 ably a special mark, a trade-mark, a distinctive emblem, or the like which may indicate the brand or manufacturer of the goods packed in the can.

Thus when the disc i1 is punched out of the 40 can body its exterior surface bears a desired mark which immediately identifies it with a particular brand of goods. It is this disc that may be utilized as a premium check which may be redeemed for premiums or prizes offered by the 45 manufacturer for their return. The incentive thus created to obtain and redeem the checks insures their removal from the cans and hence insures the consequent destruction thereby of the cans and prevents further usefulness.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changesmay be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts withg out departing from the spiritand scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

A sealed container comprising a tubular body wall having a lithographed design including a specially marked portion in its exterior surface. and an area defined in said body wall and dis- 10 posed in the plane thereof within the special y 

